"What we're finding is that the people who come to the hearings come because they have a complaint to voice so it’s true that we do hear more complaints than compliments," says Jeri Metheney with Appalachian Power.

However, Metheney says some of the claims made at the meetings are simply not true. One of the biggest myths she says was brought up was the claim that the lines were dry rotted and snapped. Metheney says the materials in power lines are not prone to that kind of deterioration.

"Metal does not dry rot. I should make that clear. I think most people realize that metal cannot dry rot."

Several people including Mingo County Senator Truman Chafin testified that workers from out of state told them that the lines were in horrible condition from rot. Metheney says the anecdotal evidence probably was gathered from a misinformed worker on the ground opposed to an actual lineman who had been working the poles.

Metheney also addressed people's complaints about the cost of their electric bills this past winter. She explained that due to the cold temperatures in December and January people used more electricity.

"A lot of people can't believe it's possible that they used double the electricity, but it's really easy to tell that by just looking at your bill. It shows you right on your bill how much you actually used, and that's really important to know," Metheney says.

In addition to the hearing in Iaeger Thursday evening, another hearing is scheduled for March 30th at the Public Service Commission headquarters in Charleston. The evidentiary hearings on the outages will then follow the public comment.